Ban on violent lyrics must be commended

THE EDITOR, Madam:

“From yuh come a mi yard, mi done know weh yuh a pree.” These lyrics of a song by Vybz Kartel affected the psyche of people. Those who were sensible enough to know that the mere act of going to the house of someone was not consent to having sexual relations realised that the phrase had gripped the populace and had become an expectation. Such is the power of music that affects the minds of a large section of the population.

Over the years, lyrics that talk of violence have been a major part of dancehall music. In the ‘80s, there was much vitriol against homosexuals and persons who engaged in oral sex. Today, the propagation through music of such ideas has been tremendously reduced and so, too, has the level of violence meted out to people who carry out these practices. Certainly as it relates to oral sex, men and women openly speak about the act without fear of being ostracised. How then can one say that music does not affect the way people act?

Prior to the proliferation of music with lyrics promoting and glorifying the use of Molly as a recreational drug, persons would have frowned on anyone who used any such substance. Yet, with the music influencing the minds, especially the young, Molly’s use and popularity has became exponential. The songs that promote violence became more barbaric as people adapted to gruesome ways of eliminating fellow human beings. It would be a great value to do a case study on Cocoa Piece killer, Rushane Barnett, to see what type of songs he listened to and whether they influenced his thinking. I would be shocked if it were gospel or soul.

Music has been one of if not the most effective media through which we can teach and communicate. As children, we learn the basic principles through music and, even as adults, we find that music many times helps us in the learning process.

The negative values of scamming, violence and drug use must be stopped being engrained in our culture through music. The ban on these types of lyrics is welcome and must be commended. Let our children see that we tried.

MARK CLARKE